


Dying Embers

by elitadream



Category: Bumblebee (2018), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Trauma, Violence, dark themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 14:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18345533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elitadream/pseuds/elitadream
Summary: Bumblebee fears for Charlie's safety as he reflects on the moment he went berserk against Sector 7.





	Dying Embers

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Contains spoilers from Bumblebee (2018). Rated T for dark themes.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own this movie, nor any other adaptation or character from the Transformers franchise.

-o-

Emptiness.

Above, in the clear and starlit sky.

Ahead, on the endless stretch of vacant road.

Across the fields and between the grassy hills...

All around him, the void dwelled like an entity, greeting him along the path he traveled like a long lost friend. As timeless and celestial as the cosmos itself, its presence both humbling and halting in its eerie magnitude.

This tremendous vastness. This deep, immeasurable loneliness...

It was as though the feeling had never left. Like a spell being lifted, what had once been a distant impression had now returned to an old sense of familiarity, and despite the desolate melancholy it brought, it somehow felt like home.

-o-

Bumblebee periodically wiped the mist away from his windshield, lost in thought as he made his way along another deserted trail and further away from town. The only sounds he perceived, other than the whir of his own motor and the whistle of the wind, was the soft rhythm of Charlie's breathing. It was regular and slow, a calming reminder of her presence inside his cab, and he paid close attention to it as he drove.

She hadn't said a word since they had left the canal.

He had grown accustomed to hearing her voice whenever they were together. Normally, she would fill as much of the dialogue as possible, and he was content to let her. It had become a constant in his life, something that he had come to expect and rely on. And he enjoyed listening to it, not only because of its distinctive and pleasant timbre, but also because he could usually tell how she felt from the subtle changes in its tone. Whatever the circumstance, there was always a clear emotion reflected in the way she spoke, like light bouncing off a surface, and he was rarely wrong when having to guess which one she was displaying.

Silence was different. It was much subtler, much trickier, and also quite unusual coming from her.

He could have made a sound, or tried to engage a conversation, but hadn't dared to. Maybe she was resting, or simply welcomed the temporary sense of peace. He didn't want to bother her, and wouldn't; but he was itching to inquire about her well-being and be able look at her properly, seeing as he couldn't do so in his vehicle form.

And this wasn't the only problem.

He still felt the residual disorientation from the multiple hits he had taken to the head, and could feel his trajectory deviating slightly every now and then. He was currently operating at less than a third of his full capacity, and although it had been the fastest way to escape, driving was rapidly depleting the energy reserves he had left. He presumed it wouldn't be long before he was alerted by an emergency power down signal, and that was without taking into account the menace that still loomed heavily over them both.

_You!... You need to get outta' here._

_What do you mean?_

_I mean my friends are coming, and they're gonna' be looking for him._

Bumblebee sped up, lifting clouds of dust and spraying gravel on his way. His dashboard indicated 102 km/h. He could hardly go any faster with the internal damage to his circuitry, but still forced himself to accelerate, his engine whining strenuously with the effort.

The warning had been friendly, but clear. A division was still searching the area. If he stayed on the road, it would only be a matter of time before they caught up, and he couldn't let that happen. What he needed to do was find a place to hide and wait until the danger had subsided. Somewhere secluded. A location no one would suspect.

...But where to go?

Just as he was racking his processor to come up with a solution, the rocky curve he was traveling along gradually straightened to reveal the path in front of them. And there, less than a hundred feet away, was a bridge.

Dimly lit by the pale moonlight, it overhung across a small river framed by thick foliage. Bumblebee immediately slowed down to assess it, minutely analyzing the surroundings. No detail escaped him, and he fully stopped at its edge instead of driving across while he weighed his options. It wasn't as isolated or secure as he would have liked, but it was probably the only thing passable as cover for miles. He didn't have much of a choice.

"Did you see something?" Charlie asked with a hint of nervousness.

There were many things he would have wanted to say in response to her question.

That they had to stop for a while. That he couldn't continue at this rate and had to replenish his strength. That he had perhaps found the hideout he was looking for, and that he hoped it would suffice.

...But the first and most prominent thought that crossed his mind was one of relief and mild concern.

**_Hey. It's good to hear you again. Everything okay?_ **

Letting out a chirp that he hoped sounded encouraging, he redirected his attention to the structure ahead, and after some deliberation, finally set himself in motion again. With a turn, he abandoned the trail and cautiously went down the leafy tilt beside it, cutting straight through the wall of vegetation.

At the bottom, on both sides of the stream, the rich greenery gave way to an open area where the ground was flat and gravelly. Low, spindly branches from nearby trees extended over the flow, grazing its surface as they bobbed calmly in the wind. Apart from the swash of the river lapping against the shore and the faint echo of vehicles passing by on a distant road, all was quiet in the vicinity. No movement, no activity that he could see. Making sure that they were indeed alone, Bumblebee parked himself directly underneath the bridge and powered his engine down.

By then, Charlie had caught on with his plan, and glanced through the upper edge of his windshield with an approving hum.

"Good thinking, Bee. They won't find us here," she said confidently, unfastening her seat belt.

He opened the door to let her out and transformed, pausing momentarily to look up at the underside of the bridge with a muffled sort of curiosity. Sounds had a strange resonance there, amplified by the wide roof of concrete and metal that extended widely higher up. The framework seemed old, but fairly well preserved. Once certain that it was secure, Bumblebee activated his battle mask and vigilantly stood guard, scanning the area for any sign of intrusion.

It was fortunately still functional, but the information it transmitted was more delayed and fragmented than before. The ocular receptors, which had been cracked in the fight, blinked and sparked from the damage, but he ignored the malfunction.

There were far more important things on his mind at the moment.

He was dutifully watching Charlie from the corner of his eye when he saw her stop near the water. She was swaying on her feet, her movements having started to become progressively less coordinated the longer she stayed upright.

_**Charlie?...** _

With an unsteady arm, she gingerly touched the side of her head and let out a hiss of pain. She was slumping weakly to the side and soon lost her balance with a faint cry, falling on her hands and knees.

**_Charlie!_ **

He was at her side before he could form another coherent thought, arms held out protectively as he crouched in front of her. In a glaring flash, he turned his headlights on and fretfully inspected her as he helped her up, seized by a growing sense of alarm.

Charlie winced under the assault of the artificial rays aimed at her face, her features twisting in discomfort.

"I'm fine," she slurred, eyes nearly squinted shut against the dazzling light. "Just a bit dizzy, that's all."

She waved a hand in the air nonchalantly, trying to brush it off, but Bumblebee wasn't reassured in the least. His gaze darted briefly to her face as he continued to examine every inch of her appearance, his expression set in an anxious and skeptic frown.

"I think-... I think I got up too fast," she elaborated, panting slightly as she leaned her hands on her thighs for support. "It's probably some kind of pressure drop from the adrenaline, and- all the running around. Yeah. I just have to... take it easy for a bit. See? Feelin' better already."

She gave him an optimistic smile then, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. As she did so, a portion of her forehead was uncovered, and it was with this motion that he caught sight of the splotches on her temple.

...They were red.

Bumblebee pulled his visor back and stared at the gash below her hairline, the realization that she was injured hitting him like an electric discharge.

With a labored breath, he inched a trembling hand closer to her face, but then abruptly recoiled and shot upwards. His armor rattled ominously as white-hot ire immediately flooded his circuits, and he clenched his fists so tightly the knuckles seemed as though they were about to snap.

This was when he felt it.

An appallingly familiar veil of deep crimson, seeping into the edges of his vision.

**_NO!_ **

Before the feeling could overpower him, he violently shook his head and took a stumbling step backwards, forcing himself to look away. Clutching his head in a frantic grip, he swiveled around and started pacing back towards the slope, his large feet stomping heavily on the pebbled ground.

_**Not again. Please, not this again.** _

"Wait!"

The distraught plea stopped him dead in his tracks and he froze, as rigid and motionless as a statue. He had reached the juncture where the extremity of the bridge met the earthy incline, the shadow projected by the steel beams almost completely obscuring him from view. There, hunched in the darkness, he remained rooted on the spot, his afflicted gaze a reflection of his inner turmoil.

_...You remember, don't you?_

Limply, he let his arms drop to his sides and closed his eyes.

**_I do._ **

He remembered everything.

Cybertron. His crash landing. The mountain. Blitzwing.

He remembered the fire, the smoke, those armed men after him; chasing him like a mindless and rabid beast...

_Take it down!_

_Fight back, Bee!_

The dreadful flashbacks invaded his mind like a recurring nightmare, only it was all too real. And more than the brutal loss of his voice, more than the hectic pursuits and his multiple close encounters with death, this was the moment that would forever haunt him the most.

There had been an explosion, followed by the sounds of approaching footsteps and guns aiming towards him menacingly. He had been barely conscious at that point, and in his weakened and disoriented state, hadn't resisted the assault. Hopeless as things were, he had found no will in himself to flee anymore; even as grappling hooks had forcefully dragged him to the ground. Meanwhile, Charlie had yelled his name despairingly, struggling ferociously against the hold of her captor.

Bumblebee's haggard expression contorted into a tormented grimace at the memory.

All he had wanted was to keep her safe. To be by her side when she needed him, and always protect her from harm... But he had failed. He had nearly been taken away from her, and all he could do was watch helplessly as she had wrestled in a vain attempt to reach him.

...That was until the man restraining her had shoved her roughly and she had hit the pavement hard.

Something within him had snapped like a coil at that moment, the entirety of his thoughts drowned by a single, bellowing word.

_**ENOUGH.** _

The ringing pain in his circuits had ceased to exist, swallowed by a devouring anger that had sharpened his view into a scalding point of intensity and filled him to the brim with unbridled rage. He had lost the ability to think, and amidst the howling wrath thundering in his spark, contempt had spread like poison.

Everything he had always fought for, swept off of his mind like a mere vapor...

He recalled how satisfying it had been to finally get back at them. To hear them scream in fright and watch them scramble for cover as he had unleashed his fury with ruthless abandon. The vicious desire to cause destruction had never been so enticing, and vengeance had never tasted this good.

Was this what it was like to be a Decepticon?...

Bumblebee hung his head miserably, sickened beyond belief at the implication.

He had sworn that he would never become one of them. That he would always defend the right cause and apply its moral conduct, no matter the hardships. After joining Optimus, he had completely given himself up to the Resistance. It had been his only reason to live, his sole purpose. He may have been a soldier -and still was-, but he believed himself to be someone capable of empathy, the spark of whom still held goodness despite eons spent resisting against the cruelty of war.

He was an Autobot.

It was the very crux of his identity... wasn't it?

Bumblebee didn't know what horrified him the most. The fact that his own rampage had brought him a twisted sense of gratification, or the murderous intent with which he had carried it out. For there was no doubt about it. He could try to deny the evidence, but he couldn't lie to himself. He had seeked devastation with merciless avidity, and had wanted to make every single one of his assailants pay.

Just how many lives would he have annihilated if things had gone differently?

It was a riddle that he would never fully know the answer to, and it petrified him with dread.

Charlie's voice was heard somewhere behind him once more, and he flinched at the touch of her hand timidly brushing against his. Stepping away, he evaded her before she could reach for him again and backed up further into the angled corner.

_**Don't. Please... Don't come any closer.** _

He was shaking all over, overcome with self-loathing and consternation. When the space became too narrow and he was unable to put any more distance between them, he slumped down and wrapped his arms around his knees, shamefully averting his gaze.

He couldn't face her. Not after what he had done, especially knowing that she had witnessed it firsthand. Now that the urgency of the mission and feverish tumult of the battle had fallen away, there was nothing left in him but a crushing remorse that burned his core like boiling acid and made him want to crawl into the deepest crevice of the earth.

Nevermind his good intentions, or the fact that his anger had been triggered by the overwhelming instinct to protect her. He had gone too far, and put her in lethal danger in the process. No matter how much it pained him to acknowledge, he knew it was the truth.

He was no guardian. No protector.

Only a faulty and mangled shell, and an even poorer excuse for a friend.

Stifling a whine, he curved in more tightly on himself and burrowed his face deeper into the crook of his elbow.

...He thought he had managed to successfully get rid of the threat, but he was wrong. There was still an enemy left. It was perhaps the most powerful one he would ever have to face, and one that would likely continue to exist for as long as he lived.

What if he were to be vanquished by it in the end? What if this was a fight he couldn't win?...

"It wasn't your fault."

With a troubled blink, he lifted up his head and risked a glance in Charlie's direction. She hadn't moved after he had retreated, and now stood alone at the base of the small tilt. She was looking down at her feet, her eyes downcast.

"What happened with those men... It wasn't your fault," she muttered.

Bumblebee stared wordlessly, wide-eyed and contrite.

She knew.

Of course she knew. The pain and regret on his face was probably as clear as day, but he had still trusted that this could somehow be avoided. That his state of mind would either go unnoticed or unaddressed, and she would leave him to his misery.

...Quite the futile expectation, knowing how perceptive and compassionate she was.

He was struggling to process the authenticity of her words, but the more he mulled it over, the more it left his mind in a confused and despondent disarray. How could she say such a thing? And  _mean_  it, no less? This didn't make sense to him. After seeing the ugliest and deadliest side of him, after seeing him open fire on other human beings and wreak havoc like a monster... How was she still there?

How was that even possible?

There was a shuffling sound, and Bumblebee watched in a mix of weariness and apprehension as Charlie started making her way towards him. She seemed determined to be in his proximity, and he consequently grew more agitated with each step she took.

 ** _Can't you see that you're not safe with me?_**  He wanted to ask her.  ** _You saw what I was capable of!_**

If he had been outwardly speaking, his voice would have gotten louder and more distressed as his temper began to flare. Her reaction was beyond his comprehension. The grotesque absurdity of it heightened his horror to a whole new degree, and with this piling up on top of everything else -the mortifying thought of what Optimus would think of him, the fact that he was still angry and couldn't even  _scream_  to let it all out- made him so upset it was bordering on aggression.

**_You should be afraid of me!_ **

"They didn't give you a choice," Charlie continued, swaying a bit as she walked up the slope. She was still talking in a comforting manner, which made everything even worse.

"This doesn't define you. You're not dangero-"

Brusquely, he transformed his right arm into a plasma cannon and held it up with the barrel aimed skyward, casting her a dark and eloquent look.

Her steps faltered and she instantly fell silent at the sight.

 ** _...That's more like it_** , he thought with a sullen sense of justification as he collected the flash of fear in her eyes and changed his gun back into a limb.

He would later come to acknowledge that he had done this out of spite towards himself. That he had unsettled her on purpose, so that he could hate himself all the more and have every reason to. He had reached the lowest point in his life that night, and on an unconscious and deeply vulnerable level, had wanted her to confirm the distorted perception he had of himself as reality.

But Charlie, as he should have been aware, was not one to be so easily deterred. It only took her a few seconds to recover from her shock, and when she did, her countenance hardened with stiff determination. Squaring her shoulders, she set her jaw and marched right up to him, pointing a bold finger at his face.

"Now you better listen to me very carefully. If you think, for  _one_  minute, that you're the one to blame around here, you've got this whole thing backwards."

Bumblebee was weary of this argument. To him, there was nothing to even debate. It was pointless.

" _They_  caused this, not you," she asserted, grinding her teeth.

**_That's a lie._ **

"And you, are  _not_ , a threat."

 ** _Yes, I am!_**  He inwardly retorted. Jutting his chin forward, he scowled at her fiercely to emphasize his point, but Charlie stubbornly held her ground. She was glaring back with fiery intent, and this time didn't even twitch at his intimidating display.

"...You don't scare me," she dropped icily.

**_I just did!_ **

An irate rumble rose from the depths of his chest, but it sputtered to a stop when Charlie jabbed him with her finger.

" _Stop it_!" She scolded. "Just-  _Stop_! I already told you, you're  _not_  responsible for what happened! How many times do I have to-"

Her lifted hands curled like claws and she interrupted herself, chewing her bottom lip furiously.

The sudden harshness of her tone was unexpected. In any other situation, her vexation would have both amused and endeared him, but there was no humor or lightness to this discussion at all, and he sulked penitently where he sat instead.

"This is insane. For you to think that of yourself is just insane! I can't even fathom-"

**_-that something terrible could have happened to you because of me? What more is there to say?_ **

"Do you really need me to remind you?" Charlie prompted angrily, with a timing so impeccable it was uncanny. Her question hung in the air between them like a challenge, and the sheer bitterness it held gave him pause. There was something else there. Something visceral and raw. It wasn't just resentment, or indignation. He sensed a pained sort of desperation mingling with her barely contained irritation.

"They wouldn't leave you alone! They- they lashed out and  _shot_  you with those  _disgusting_  harpoons while you hadn't done  _anything_!"

Her voice all at once lost its toughness, and every bit of defiance Bumblebee had shown up until this point was extinguished as effectively as fire doused with water. What he had previously failed to see revealed itself as plainly as an open wound, and his spark sank to the bottom of his stomach like a stone.

She had been scared...  _for_  him.

The anger, the outrage, the helplessness... She had felt it too, and visibly still did. She was every bit as upset as he was, possibly even more so, and there he was, pushing her away.

Bumblebee stared sadly as her stern composure dissolved into nothingness.

He had hurt her. He could tell.

"They captured you, tortured you, they tried to  _kill_  you! But you-... you have proven, to  _everyone_  out there, that you were better than that. After everything they put you through... You  _still_  did everything you could to save the planet.  _My_  world. I mean- What can you  _possibly_  feel guilty about?"

There was a heavy pause, and his eyes constricted as he looked at the scratch on her temple again.

In his mind's eye, he could see all the dreadful scenarios in which things took a turn for the worst; all the ones in which Charlie sustained a fatal injury and didn't make it. They looped endlessly; stabbing his core with visions of his dearest friend killed by the enemy's hand... or his own.

They were so vivid and seemed so real, it was like experiencing her death in alternate realities a thousand times over. Scattered and razor sharp, like the shattered pieces of a mirror piercing right through him and lodging themselves into his spark.

And the agony of it was indescribable.

As the silence lingered, something in her expression shifted, and he could only assume by the way she blanched that she had finally guessed what this was really about.

"...Bee."

The strangled syllable rung in his audio receptors like a verdict, and although it should have scared him to death, he felt strangely calm. Considering all that had taken place, this was in fact the only outcome he deemed appropriate.

Charlie wiped a hand down her face, visibly shaken. He could almost see the vehement flurry of emotions swirling within her as she scrambled to articulate her thoughts.

"You can't-... This isn't who you are", she finally stated, with much difficulty.

 ** _But what if it is?_**  He countered tiredly, the voice of his consciousness now a defeated whisper echoing faintly across his mind.  ** _What if... This_ is  _the real me?_**

"Please, Bee. You  _have_  to believe me! I  _know_  you!"

Her last sentence was a broken shout. It was definite, categorical, and filled with a conviction so resolute it left him stunned.

The dispute was over.

"...I know you," she repeated hoarsely. "...And I know, that- you could  _never_  hurt me. I've trusted you since the beginning. All I'm asking you now, is... can you trust me in return?"

_**Charlie...** _

For a brief, suspended moment, their gazes locked and neither dared move. Then, Bumblebee swiftly reached forward and enfolded her in his arms, pulling her against him in an embrace that was equally fragile and fervent. He shut his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder, his breath hitching with the tremors that rocked his entire frame.

**_I'm so sorry._ **

His spark was throbbing painfully in its casing, and he realized that he had felt the anguished and compelling will to hold her ever since regaining his senses. That he had needed to feel her warmth and hear her heartbeat, so that he would know with every ounce of his being that she was indeed here with him.

It didn't take long before Charlie reciprocated the gesture, clinging to him with a grasp that was just as tight and heartfelt.

"Shh... It's okay," she soothed. "It's okay."

**_I'm scared. Terrified, even. What if I lose control again?... I don't know what to believe anymore, and I don't know what to do!_ **

"I know what it feels like," she confided knowingly after a moment, her voice low and muffled against his neck. "When you're so angry you can't think, and all you want is to destroy everything around you."

She pulled back, bringing her hands under his chin.

"Trust me. I've been there."

It was with those few, simple words that everything suddenly became clear, and he finally understood.

He had kept wondering what she saw in him that he didn't. How she could still want to be by his side and continue to have faith in him after what he had done.

But as he looked at her, Bumblebee glimpsed an alternate version of his own self. It was the vision of him that she had developed while he was amnesic, and had somehow kept intact: this idea of a gentle and innocent being, untainted and pure. Everything that he felt he wasn't, but knew he  _had_  been, a very long time ago. Back when he wasn't yet a soldier. Before his training. Before his first kill.

All the things that he saw in her eyes... The hope, the wonder, the love...

This wasn't about who he was, or had been.

This was about who he could become.

_This doesn't define you._

...She was right. She had been right all along. He just hadn't wanted to listen.

They would always have their share of struggle, and their own inner demons to confront. No matter what he did, he knew he would never be fully rid of them. The solution was neither to pretend otherwise nor surrender, but to valiantly keep fighting on, and accept the help that was offered to him.

He knew he couldn't revert to the way he once was before the war, but maybe...  _just_  maybe... with Charlie by his side, he could learn to feel a sense of normalcy again and move on. If she viewed him as kind, unassuming and openhearted... then this was exactly what he aspired to be like.

As he contemplated this, a particular memory came back to him. It was the moment he had reawakened in the hangar. The one that had followed his interrogation, and preceded the attack. The sliver of light through the darkness.

The first thing he had seen as he had sluggishly lifted himself into a sitting position had been her small silhouette in the corner of his periphery, and her name had been all that he had had the time to process before she had rushed towards him and thrown her hands around his neck.

 ** _You're here_** , he had thought through his muddled stupor.  ** _You found me!_**

She had been sobbing with relief, and his spark had swelled with bliss as he had let the warmth of her embrace envelop him.

When he had left Cybertron, it had been with the strong and unrelenting feeling that this mission would be his last. He was a soldier, and had been prepared to die for seemingly all his life... but as the escape pod had lifted and propelled him into the vacuum of space to a new destination light years away... he had somehow known that he would never see his home world again.

Even in his most optimistic mindset, he had been aware that he didn't stand much of a chance, if any. He wasn't particularly strong or robust, and wasn't any more skilled than the average fighter when it came to hand-to-hand combat. His only advantages laid in his resourcefulness and agility, which had proven quite useful time and time again, but... despite this, he knew that such qualities wouldn't have been enough. Speed and cleverness alone weren't what had allowed him to persevere, nor were they what had given him the strength to carry on with his duty.

He would be long dead if it wasn't for Charlie.

With a choked breath, he tightened his hold, and all the shame, doubt and ire that had been plaguing his spark evaporated from him at last.

**_...You brought me back to life._ **

It was true, in more ways than one. Not only had she literally revived him from the dead, but she had also gotten through to him when his sanity had crumbled. He didn't want to imagine where he would be now, had she not intervened.

**_I would be lost without you._ **

Leaning forward a little, he lifted a hand and tenderly ran it through her hair, hoping that it conveyed some of what he couldn't say. As he let it fall away, Charlie surprised him by gripping it and bringing to her face, clutching it like a treasured possession.

"You have to promise me something," she requested, and Bumblebee straightened in a noble manner as he humbly waited.

**_Anything._ **

"Promise me... that you will never let anyone, or anything change who you are."

Closing the space between them once more, he bowed his head and rested his forehead against hers, the peaceful hum of his spark resonating deeply inside his chest.

**_I promise._ **

And she smiled, then, in that radiant and enchanting way that was so uniquely hers. It was as if she had heard him, and the thought alone was so exquisite that he took a moment to savor it.

When they finally broke away, Charlie slid a palm atop his head lovingly, and paused to lightly trace the contour of his insignia. Her eyes were bright, glinting with unshed tears, and more beautiful to him than any wonder of the universe.

"We made it through the night, you and I," she murmured triumphantly.

Glancing at the horizon, Bumblebee observed the scenery and noticed that it was indeed early dawn. A light breeze resounded hollowly between the wide gaps of the old and rusted bridge above, waving subtly through the grass and forming ripples on the water. The ground sparkled with a thin layer of dew as the first rays of the sun appeared beyond the treeline, and together they watched the sunrise, enjoying the tranquility of the riverbank in the crisp morning air.

...It was obvious in the way Charlie had said it that she wasn't simply referring to the time of day, however, and he paused to fully absorb her words.

She was alive, and so was he.

They had survived this. Both of them, together.

The notion was astoundingly uplifting after the grim torpor he had just resurfaced from, and it brightened his perspective with a resplendent glow. If he had been told, a week ago, that his view would be forever altered on a faraway planet and that he would there meet someone he wouldn't hesitate to give his spark for, he would have dismissed the idea immediately.

It all seemed so improbable, so incredible... but life was full of surprises, and this was definitely the one he was most thankful for.

Stifling a yawn, Charlie rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat beside him, leaning contentedly against his side. She looked peaceful, somewhat pleased even, but Bumblebee also sensed an underlying sadness in her. He imagined that she knew, as well as he did, that this couldn't -and wouldn't- last. That soon, they would have to get back on the road, and things would inevitably return to their wild, chaotic rhythm.

Who knew what changes would occur then?...

Perhaps most notably for this reason, neither were in any hurry to leave, and Bumblebee wanted to appreciate this moment spent with her as much as possible.

For all he knew, it could be his last.

With a sigh, he circled an arm around her back and slid his thumb over her shoulder in a gentle caress.

There would never be someone else like her. He knew it with the utmost certainty. Charlie was a once-in-a-lifetime friend, worth both living and dying for. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, and nothing he wouldn't sacrifice to ensure that she would never have to go through anything like this again. Even if this meant pain. Even if it meant heartache.

...Her happiness was all he longed for, and all he would ever want.

-o-

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back!!
> 
> Urgh, this literally took forever. =.= I've had this idea stuck in my head for weeks, but just couldn't seem to make it work. For some reason, this particular oneshot was very hard for me to write, and I mean that in the technical sense. Seriously, I must have modified the structure at least a dozen times, and I still don't quite know what to think of it! But I figured I might as well post what I had regardless, because I've been so busy lately I otherwise might never get it done. xP
> 
> This is basically another concept that I felt had great potential (Bumblebee and Charlie having a heart-to-heart about that moment), especially after noticing that the movie skipped over quite a few hours between the final battle and the parting scene. I thought about what their interaction could have been like during this missing gap, and after exploring a few different scenarios, decided that something a bit more dramatic suited the context of the story best.
> 
> No worries though! I assure you, the next oneshots I have in mind will have a lighter mood and be a lot more similar to the ones I wrote previously... if I ever finish them. xP
> 
> With that being said, I hope you enjoyed!^^
> 
> .
> 
> * Big shout out to SunnySides, who suggested that I tackle the 'seeing red' sequence. It was what ultimately gave me the inspiration for this oneshot. :3 Many thanks for commenting on my stories, dear reader! *
> 
> .


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